Why We Should Care About this Planet We Call Home

Whether you believe that humans evolved from single-cell organisms, mother nature birthed us, or that God placed Adam and Eve on Earth, we are here. Humans interact with their outside environment constantly; there is no way to avoid that. We all have heard about what humans are doing to harm the environment - I won’t bore you with another list of all of the things we are doing wrong. I would, however, like to propose three reasons why we should respect this planet we call home.

I have a poster above my bed that says “RESPECT YOUR MOTHER” - which is a reminder to me every morning to call my mom, and to respect this planet we call home. I believe that nature is a complex and beautiful thing that we have the honor to live in, live with, and explore.

So, why should you care?

First, every human has a place on Earth that they cherish. For me, that place is the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois. My heart sinks when my community is notified that the water is not clean enough to swim in because, I know that the fault falls to myself, my peers, and the mid-western community at large. When we litter and pollute, knowingly or not, we are not just affecting our direct community, but communities far away as well. When humans are unable to see the effects of their pollution it makes it extremely difficult for us to change our ways. In the process, we are not only exploiting and damaging the environment, we are effectively destroying a place someone out there cherishes and calls home.

Second, the Earth will survive whatever humans put it through, but will you? Nature has proved to be extremely adaptable and strong. Humans, on the other hand, need specific conditions to live and thrive. If you don’t care about the environment, that’s okay. However, I urge you to think about yourself in 50 years and of all of the generations to come. It is up to us right now to try to change things so that everyone has the chance to breathe clean air.

Finally, you do not have to continue this cycle of violence. We are taught at a young age that if someone bullies you, or you see someone being bullied, that is not justification for you to spew hate in return. So, why are we continuing this cycle of violence towards the environment? Some of the practices humans have adopted, like drilling for oil and cutting down forests, are outwardly violent towards the environment, while other harmful practices don’t seem outwardly damaging, such as using plastic straws. Regardless of if a person sees any of these practices as violent or not, there is hard evidence that these practices are, in fact, harmful to the environment and to humans. So, why choose to enable harmful actions? There are many ways we can alter our actions to care for the environment. Some are as simple as buying a reusable straw!

All in all, I urge you to think of others and respect the environment.

St. Lawrence University’s Divestment Club is taking a step towards sustainability by trying to implement a Green Fund! Take a stride towards a greener SLU by signing the petition below!